The Brown Photograph
by Umimare
Summary: Kingdom Hearts AU Lea goes to visit her grandpa Axel at the nursing home, and there's a surprise in her pocket when she leaves. Implied Axel x Namine of all things. O.o"


The Brown Photograph

~A/N: this was a project for school, so there was a rubric and all that annoying-ness. Also, as this is my first story in whatever-deity-there-is knows how long, I'd like to apologize for my absence. However, lacking any relevant excuse, I'll simply say that the only story of mine I've already posted that I am likely to continue is Transfer of Magic. That said; I will have new stuff. Hopefully. I have a notebook of half-finished Zemyx one-shots stashed away somewhere, so when I find it, I'll post those =D None of my older fics are continued b/c I wrote them down, and the sheer amount of stuff I wrote in pen astounds me, and it would take forever to type. I also hate writing lots of stuff I've written before-it makes me not want to write. Sorry. *~* On to the…one-shot? If you want me to come up with more, let me know.

© Kingdom Hearts and all other brands ect mentioned in this fiction are not mine. I'd be rich if they were, and poor little Zexion and Demyx would be together forever…3

It was a cooler than normal Sunday in the summer, but the birds were still singing their chiming melodies from the tree outside my window, and my younger brother Myde was spinning on the tire swing hanging from the little maple in the corner of our yard. I was busy on my laptop, scrolling through a _Kingdom of Souls_ Fan Fiction, and sipping a Dr. Pepper from my mini-fridge.

"Come on Lea! It's time to go see your grandpa." My father called up the stairs.

I hate visiting my grandfather at the nursing home. The chemical smell tickles my nose in the most uncomfortable way, and the nurses' false, painted on smiles are too sweet for my tastes. I sighed, and shut my laptop with a faint click. Tossing my now empty soda can into the trash, I slouched down the stairs. My dad took one look at my outfit and frowned. "Lea, go and change please. I don't want all the boys gawking at you on our way there." He teased. So around I turned, and pulled open my closet. Grabbing a pair of black skinny jeans, and a black top, I flopped onto my bed, peeling off my shorts and thin tank top, replacing them with clothes containing more fabric. I glanced at myself in the mirror as I pulled on my plain black converse and a red and black striped tie, hanging it loosely around my neck. My red short sleeved sweater went on next, retrieved from the chair next to my little TV, and then my red and black fingerless gloves that matched my tie. I ran my fingers through my styled red hair, pulling the long part into a ponytail, and the rest, short, I held in place with two plain silver clips. My red and silver chakram stud earrings glistened from my ears as I turned to my dresser.

"Lea! Are you ready to go?" my dad asked, poking his head into my room. "Almost, Dad, give me one sec." I pulled my eyeliner out of my make-up kit, and drew a single black teardrop under each of my eyes, just like my dad's tattoos. When I was old enough, I was getting the exact same ones. Grinning at my dad, I slipped past him and out to our fire-red car, where Myde was waiting. Dad plopped into the seat beside me, twisting his silver key into the ignition.

The drive to the nursing home was relatively short, but I wasn't too happy entering the frigid lobby of "Larxene's Home for the Elderly"

My dad stepped up to the desk, while I hung back, holding Myde's hand. "Hello, we're here to see Axel Reno. Is he allowed visitors today?" he asked, overly polite. The secretary smiled brightly at my father, her long pink hair twisted into a loose bun. Her nametag read KAIRI XION. She gave me a wave before rummaging through a list of names. "Yeah, you can see him today. I assume you know the room?" she inquired. My dad nodded, and she gave us another bright smile as we headed for the elevator. A few horribly made up nurses gave us huge, creepy, toothy grins as we passed them, and Myde clung to my hand, gripping his teddy bear Ienzo tightly.

My grandpa Axel was settled into a hospital bed, looking through a photograph album. He gave us his trademark grin, stretching his teardrop tattoos under his eyes. My grandpa was like a wrinkled, tired version of my father, though his red hair and dark green eyes were strikingly the same as my own as well. Grandpa Axel held up a small, browning photograph, one of a young blonde woman in a white dress, getting into an old fashioned car. Myde peeked around me, looking at the photo. "Who's that grandpa?" he asked, reaching out to touch it. "That's your Grandma Namine. Isn't she pretty?" he winked. My little brother grinned, nodding. His blonde mullet bounced along with his motions. "This was right before we went on a picnic outing. Namine loves to draw outdoors, so we'd go places and eat and she'd draw and I'd…" he trailed off, smirking.

"And you'd set things on fire and wave them in mom's face." Dad finished for him. Myde looked horrified, but I just grinned deviously. Grandpa Axel noticed my grin, and winked at me. "Course, that was back before we were married." He announced. "She's only eighteen." Just then, a nurse bustled in, carrying a lunch tray and a bottle of pills. With her she brought a strong chemical smell and my nose twitched. I glared at the woman, whose feathery pink hair was bearing the strong scent of rose petals. She turned and smiled at Myde, allowing me to glimpse her nametag, which read MARLUXIA ROSEBURG. "Miss. Roseburg, can't the pills wait?" Grandpa Axel asked. "They make me sleepy."

Marluxia Roseburg frowned, then with a sigh, nodded. "I'll be back in five minutes to make sure you take them." She warned, exiting the room.

"Guess this means we'll have to see you next week." My dad said, giving his dad an awkward hug. "See you then." Grandpa Axel advised, hugging back. Grandpa Axel gave Myde a quick squeeze, and then pulled me into a hug. As I pulled away, there was a crinkle in my pants pocket. I was halfway out of the building when I looked at the thing he'd put in pocket. It was the browned photo, and as we were walking out of the Home, a young blonde girl, only eighteen, wearing a simple white tank-top dress with a lace edging and matching white flip-flops nearly slammed right into me, causing me to drop the picture. I looked back and forth between the girl and the photo. Before I knew it, she'd breezed past me and was gone.


End file.
